Donald Moden Jr. dies in fatal Red Mountain Pass avalanche
Fatal Red Mountain Pass avalanche death of Donald Moden Jr. – Obituary
Donald Moden Jr., 57, of Ridgway, tragically lost his life in an avalanche while backcountry skiing near Red Mountain Pass on Tuesday.
Ouray County Coroner Glenn Boyd confirmed his identity, noting that an autopsy is pending to determine the official cause and manner of death. Moden’s passing marks Colorado’s first avalanche fatality of the current winter season.
The avalanche occurred on a northwest-facing slope at approximately 11,300 feet in an area known locally as “Bollywood,” east of U.S. Highway 550, also referred to as the Million Dollar Highway.
Sheriff Justin Perry reported that Moden, an experienced climber and former member of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, had gone skiing alone that morning. His wife alerted authorities around 2 p.m. after he failed to return home.
Ouray Sheriff’s Sgt. Bernie Chism discovered Moden’s vehicle near the area and called for assistance. Rescuers from Ouray Mountain Rescue, along with a San Juan Mountain Guides employee who witnessed the avalanche, searched for Moden. His body was recovered later that afternoon.
According to Sheriff Perry, Moden was equipped with essential safety gear, including an avalanche beacon, GPS locator, and an avalanche vest. It remains unclear whether the vest deployed during the incident.
“This is a deeply tragic event,” Perry remarked. The avalanche occurred in a known high-risk area east of Red Mountain Alpine Lodge, near County Road 31.
